Silent Sentinel

Silent Sentinel is the official fundraising art for the Delaware Seashore Preservation Foundation Tower #3 Restoration Project. 10% of all print sales go directly to restore the World War II observation tower featured in the painting.

"Silent Sentinel" 36" x 24" oil on canvas $13,800 unframed Archival giclée prints available through gallery To purchase a print, please click here

Well known shore artist Ellen Rice recently kicked off prints sales of her new historic painting, Silent Sentinel, to benefit the restoration of Delaware's World War II Watchtower 3 near Dewey Beach. The original painting and prints were created by Rice at the request of the Delaware Seashore Preservation Foundation (DSPF), the same non-profit organization which restored the Indian River Life-Saving Station on U.S. Rt. 1 in the 1990s. A special canvas giclée edition of Silent Sentinel, created strictly for DSPF Tower # 3 contributors at the $1,000 4-Star General Level of membership will also be available through DSPF and The Ellen Rice Gallery. Rice has offered for the gallery to serve as an center for information and membership applications for the Tower 3 project. "Since the restoration of the Indian River Life-Saving Station Museum, the restoration of Tower #3 is a very special undertaking for the foundation, which is partnering with the Fort Miles Historical Association," said DSPF Board Member Ernie Felici. "We are very pleased Ellen decided to help us in our fundraising efforts by agreeing to portray the beauty and history of Tower #3 in oils. Her research and dedication to create this work was outstanding, resulting in a truly inspiring image." In Silent Sentinel, Rice says she endeavored to paint the tower in a way that is not only beautiful, but different from everything else that has been painted of the towers – and with a significant historic twist. Painted at the top of the tower are two people representing either World War II local volunteers who manned the towers during the 1930s and ‘40s -- or visitors watching the sun rise someday in the not too distant future when the tower is fully restored. "We discussed a lot of ideas," said Rice. "DSPF's board wanted an historic element in the painting to help tell the towers' unique story. We thought about including a jeep or a WWII plane and a few others ideas. It wasn't until we came up with the idea of people manning or visiting the tower that we knew we had the right idea." "My idea was to portray a man and a woman silhouetted against a breathtakingly brilliant sunrise – a juxtaposition of the great natural beauty of our Delaware shoreline against a stark cement structure created three-quarters of a century ago out of the sand it stands on to protect our shores during a time of war. "I wanted people to be able to look at this painting and feel they are part of it. I hoped they'd think about the spectacular the view from the people on top of the tower are seeing and question the tower's purpose. From comments I've been getting from people looking at the original in the gallery, the painting is doing its job. They're asking a lot of questions. I hope Silent Sentinel stirs new interest in the tower and contributes substantially to its restoration." Rice is writing a short history of Delaware's watchtowers which she hopes will include comments from women and men who volunteered there. The history will be given away with each print purchase. The original 36" x 24" oil on canvas of Silent Sentinel took Rice more than three months to complete, wielding her paintbrushes in the old master's style of painting in many thin glazes, a technique she uses to establish the depth and luminosity for which much of her work is known. Rice is considered one of Delaware's most collectible artists. A resident of Sussex County, Delaware, since the summer of 1962, she's been painting the area's places, people and natural beauty since she was a teen and has been a full-time professional artist for more than 30 years. Her works are wide ranging, reflecting interest many aspects of life, and can be found in more than 30,000 private, government and corporate collections worldwide. Over the years, she's created many works in support of historic restoration projects, most notably her oil, "The Last Watch," of the Indian River Life-Saving Station. Other historic subjects she's painted include the Gov. Ross and Lawrence mansions in Seaford, the Parson Thorne Mansion in Milford, the Woodland Ferry, the Fenwick Lighthouse, Bethel's Schooner Ram Victory Chimes, several local train stations and her most famous, nationally best-selling work of history and art, Treasure Beaches of the Mid-Atlantic. "The lessons of history are hard learned," said Rice. "It's said that a picture is worth a thousand words. It's my hope that Silent Sentinel will pique interest in Delaware's unique place in history and the world among young and old alike and that some lessons of war that might otherwise go overlooked will be passed on through this painting. Who knows what interest sparked in the mind of one small child might eventually accomplish?" The Ellen Rice Gallery, a 2006 national NICHE Top Retailer Finalist, is located at 103 Atlantic Ave. (Rt. 26), in the west end of the Country Wicker Building, 2.2 miles west of the intersection of US Rt. 1 and Bethany Beach. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the week and information is available 24-7 on the gallery's website. Silent Sentinel can be purchased in the gallery or ordered via phone and the gallery's website. The introductory price will apply to all sales through Oct. 1. For more information about Silent Sentinel, stop by or call the gallery locally at 302-539-3405, toll-free nationwide at 1-888-355-7423.